A Vow of Faith
by SuperSonic Violet
Summary: "Every step of the way. Until the end." In a test of allegiance and morals, Katara swears her belief in Zuko in order to save him from himself. But what will happen when that very vow begins to destroy instead of heal? (My Zutara take on the atrocity that is 'The Promise')
1. The Vow

**A/N:** Spontaneous idea was spontaneous… Hello all! :D This here Zutara fic was inspired by a few (leaked) panels of _**The Promise**_, the upcoming comic of sorts about the events after Zuko becomes Fire Lord and the peace era comes about. Some tiny, _tiny_ bits of this fic will count as **spoilers**, so… just a warning if you don't like spoilers! The rest comes from my imagination, so it's not totally everything that happens in The Promise. :P Also, it might make more sense if you read them panels first. (There's a link on my profile if you're looking for it.) Well then, I think that's about it – enjoy le story! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything copyrighted mentioned in this story. If it's relevant, no offense is intended by basing a fanfic on leaked material… '^.^ (Why do those words make me feel bad?)

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><p><em><strong>A Vow of Faith<strong>_

**Chapter 1: The Vow **

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><p>The water bubbled and roiled, tumbling down the three levels of shallow stone dishes – each built with varying sizes to appear like layers of petals that would cluster to form a flower, the topmost dish being the smallest and the lowest dish being the biggest – and finally into the large basin set into the cobbled floor, with plods of certainty. Katara, dressed in a lofty blue nightgown, approached the fountain steadily, not wanting to draw too much of attention to herself by waking any of the others. This time was specifically for her to gather her thoughts, mull them over like the water sliding down each level of the tall fountain at which she came to a stop.<p>

She smiled, letting her eyes take in the lively fountain, the urge to bend the hurdling water making itself known. From within her sleeves, she drew out her hands and slowly lifted them to the air in front of her, as though she were poised to waterbend. Her smile faded. After freshening up before coming here, Katara had wrapped her wrists in strips of bandages; now she undid each strip on either wrist, letting them fall to the ground.

Yes, Katara did not only come to the fountain to mull over her thoughts tonight.

Summoning up a small amount of water, Katara seated herself on the rim of the fountain, wrapping the cool water around her bruised left wrist; she worked the water up to a glow before it blended with the bruised skin, healing it to perfection and giving off only a few drops of excess water. As she went to work on her right wrist, she thought back to earlier that afternoon – when Zuko had clasped her wrists so tightly that he left behind painful smudges of dull red.

An angry twinge made her splash her hand in the water, scowling. She and Aang had only wanted to talk to him, to discuss what was going on – no harm had been intended, especially not to "his people". But what surprised her was that the guards were willing to physically attack them to keep them away, not listening to a thing she and Aang were saying. Therefore anything Katara may have done to hurt the guards was only an act of defense, and the fact that Zuko had blamed her for harming someone when she and Aang were the ones in danger of being harmed…

"I can't believe him," she whispered out loud, unconsciously stroking her left wrist.

In truth, she was also worried. Not just about the future of the world, but about Zuko, too. Something was bothering him, and this was made evident in the rushed manner with which he spoke, the anxiety in his eyes and how gaunt and sallow his face looked, as though his appetite was troubling. The angry mask he donned was something she could easily see through; Zuko was afraid. Though she did not know what he was afraid of, and was not sure if she had seen him as genuinely unsettled as this.

Either way, Katara had to see him. Physically. She had to talk to him alone; it was not the best idea to bring Aang…

Aside from Zuko's strange behaviour, he had said something to Aang not so long ago which had honestly scared her. They probably did not think she was listening, but she had certainly heard – Appa's saddle was not a place that guaranteed a private talk, although it could be attempted. They had all been in midair, amidst vibrant fireworks in the night sky, and Aang and Zuko were discussing Zuko's feelings of anxiety regarding the bad legacy of his family, how it and the pressure of being Fire Lord could change him for the worst, how he and the world needed a "safety net". How that meant Aang had to kill him if he ever became like his father. Aang had protested while she studied Zuko in sad surprise, and then he spoke words of finality…

"_As your friend, I'm asking you – if you ever see me go bad, end me. Promise me, Aang."_

"…_Fine. I promise." _

The doubt had been clear on Aang's drawn, sad face when he said that, but he had promised, if only because Zuko had asked with unswerving gravity. Still, she wished he had not. It was a dangerous thing to enter into, that could end in sadness, and he had accepted it no matter how much he did not want to… She knew that Aang would do anything for a dear friend, even if it was something so horrible to ask for. As long as the friend wanted something so badly, he would give it to them. That was how Aang was. Sometimes, though, she wished he would make exceptions – or at least allow himself to make the exception, no matter what Zuko said.

Making an exception in this case would not have resulted in him almost killing the firebender this afternoon.

Zuko had been asking for it, what with how he was acting, and Aang was just about to do it – _end him_. Katara had been crouched on the floor after Zuko was knocked back, effectively setting her wrists free, and had stared in shock at Aang's rage. But she had scrambled to her feet when she realized he was serious, and had done what she could to give Zuko a second chance. After that, when they were leaving in a hurry, Aang had thanked her for intervening. And that meant that he would have regretted it after discovering what he had done.

Katara flinched, speeding away from her reminiscence and back to the present, where she sat on the rim of the fountain with her elbows propped on her thighs to hold her head up. Her eyes gazed sadly at the cobbles of the floor beneath her feet, when she heard the sound of bare feet padding across the courtyard in her direction.

Aang, dressed in oversized pyjamas and bearing a glimmer of sleepiness in his grey eyes, came to a stop a short distance away. "How are you feeling?"

She sat up slowly, giving a smile that did not reach her eyes. "I'm all right. But I should be asking you that."

"I guess I'm still stunned," he admitted. "I know he was being serious when he asked me, and I know I was being serious when I made the promise. But I didn't think it'd actually come to that."

"Me neither." She bit her lip, eyes falling to the water. "Let's hope tomorrow has good news for this whole thing." _Because hopefully my talking to Zuko tonight would have sorted things out before then. _

"I hope so too, sweetie." Aang caught onto her hand tenderly.

The corner of her lip lifted slightly; she had initially thought addressing each other as "sweetie" was just a special joke between them, maybe something to annoy Sokka, but now she was beginning to think Aang took it seriously. "It's time to get inside; it must be really late."

He helped her stand upright. "Almost midnight," he confirmed.

The Western Air Temple had not taken a lot of work to repair, Katara thought absently as they walked past the statue of a monk at the entrance of the courtyard. The gang had declared it their regular meeting place, where they would join up to talk and sometimes stay over, like the old times. The reason it was convenient for their current situation was because it was close to Zuko, in the Fire Nation, and it would not take long to reach the Capital from here. Walking up a few stairs and making a turn or two, Katara and Aang found themselves at a branch in the wide stone corridor. Here, Aang would go right while Katara would go left.

He squeezed her hand. "Night, sweetie."

She could not help a little chuckle before pecking him on the cheek. "Good night, sweetie." And they went their separate ways, except Katara was not going to sleep when she got to her room.

Closing the door behind her with a _click_, she moved to her simple bed against the wall and adjusted the pillows so that they were under the blankets, giving the guise of a sleeping figure. She scurried to the wardrobe and quickly removed her robe, revealing a long-sleeved black shirt and matching trousers that had been underneath the entire time. She tugged on a pair of skin-fitting boots. She flung the discarded robe onto a shelf in the wardrobe and snatched a strip of cotton from another shelf, tying her hair up and out of her eyes. Finally, she tied a piece of dark material in the form of a makeshift mask around her neck, and lifted a black garment off of a hook and pulled it over her head; the top half was akin to a tunic, suppressing the black shirt beneath and melting with her skin, whereas the bottom half was like an open skirt and spilled down in drapes that clung to her knees. It was the long coat Katara had worn a while back when Zuko had gone with her to confront her mother's killer.

With that, Katara shut the doors of the wardrobe and double-checked the arrangement of the pillows under the sheets. A deep breath and she moved to the bedroom door, pausing with a hand on the knob and running her eyes over the room. She had a feeling that things would be different when she came back, hopefully for the better. Although a minor part of her was not completely sure, she twisted the knob and, after closing the door quietly behind her, Katara drew up her mask and darted into the shadows.

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><p><em>Ozai stood beside Zuko atop a volcano, whispering into his son's ear. Zuko's face broke into a malicious smile, darkness swimming in his golden eyes. He raised his arms and set everything in his path on fire. He burnt the trees that shot high into the sky. He sent lava running down the rocky sides of the mountain, melting everything into unidentifiable ash. He slipped a map of the Earth Kingdom from his pocket, holding it in front of him, and with his father's help, ripped it in two – the cries of the distressed filled his ears as the Earth Kingdom tumbled into nothingness. Amongst all of the carnage came a rumbling, familiar grunt; Appa, carrying Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph, came flying towards him. <em>

"_Destroy them, my faithful son," crooned Ozai._

_Zuko narrowed his eyes into a vicious scowl. He traced his fingers in arcs through the air, blue light crackling at his fingertips; bringing his fingers together, he paused before shooting out a large burst of searing hot lightning. As the jagged blue wire of heat flew closer to them, the fear in Team Avatar's eyes made him and his father laugh-_

Zuko bolted upright with a cry, chest heaving as he panted.

His eyes flicked from side to side, scanning his surroundings and finding with relief that he was alone in his dim, quiet bedroom at the Fire Nation Royal Palace; he had been able to keep his own bedroom when he became Fire Lord. It still bore the raised, four-poster bed in the centre of the room against the south wall; rich red carpet and elaborate hangings on the ornate masonry of the walls; the large closet set into the west wall of the room; the door leading to the bathroom, also on the south wall, a few paces from his bed; the entry doors at the north wall right in the path of the bed; and the transparent screen doors, with curtains draped over them, set into the east wall that led out onto a small balcony. Just his bedroom, not a soul in sight, the heat in the air from the remainder of summer – not a volcano.

He swallowed, catching onto his breath, and brought up a shaking hand to rub his forehead; his hand came away covered in a slick of shiny moisture, and he noticed for the first time how his sleeping shirt was plastered to his body by a coating of sweat. It was not an effort to kick aside his already misshapen sheets and clamber out of the bed, pacing back and forth to calm his tingling nerves… It was only a dream, it was only a dream, it was only a dream-

There were two firm raps on the door. "Zuko?" Suki's voice floated into the room from behind the door. "Zuko, is everything okay?" she called, concerned.

He stared hardly at the door. "It was only a dream," he answered. _Nightmare, more fittingly_, he corrected himself.

"All right, then – we've got your back, you know!" Ty Lee called cheerfully.

"It's been quiet so far," affirmed Suki. "You should get some rest."

"Good night." Zuko puffed out a sigh. He could not deny that Suki, Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi Warriors were much better guards than the ordinary palace guards. He was grateful for their help, as the attempts on his life so far were truly disconcerting. As friends, he might have even felt a hint of guilt for keeping them awake while he slept, despite it being their job. But he did not feel guilty because things like that no longer dominated his mind; things he did not have the time to think about. He needed someone who could effectively guard him from danger and that was why they were there. It was as simple as that.

But they could not protect him from himself, he knew, and his mind was not in a good state. Inside of him, things were falling apart, crumbling and breaking to pieces. He had been having a lot of dreams like the one that just had tormented him into waking, and what scared him the most was that they seemed so real. _The fear in their eyes…_ A shiver chased down his spine. The pressure of being a Fire Lord in this new era, the struggle to make everyone strive towards the Harmony Restoration Movement, the constant checking of himself to make sure he was staying honest and true… He felt as though he was being devoured from the inside out, and there was, already, a hollow space forming and growing.

Zuko ran his hands through his hair with another miserable sigh and removed his soaked shirt, tossing it onto the floor in front of his closet, the night air cool on his bare torso. He snagged a robe off of the hook next to the bathroom door before padding inside. He threw it over his shoulder and, standing in front of the bathroom sink, twisted the metal tap, letting the water gush out of the faucet and hit the smooth glass of the basin. He thrust his shaking hands under the faucet, the water beginning to loosely pool in his cupped palms before meeting the basin. Everything seemed to be slipping through his fingertips, out of his control…

Frowning, he splashed his face with water, massaging his eyes and feeling a faint sting from the water droplets. After a few more splashes, he shut off the tap and pulled his crimson robe off his shoulder, swinging it behind him and putting it on properly, straightening it with a tug and tying the black sash at his waist. In the shadows of the bathroom, without the lamps lit, he could not see his reflection in the mirror above the sink – and neither did he want to. He knew he looked like a ghost of himself at a better time, and it surprisingly hurt to think that he had made so much of progress, only to have it undone by… him. _Himself_.

A burst of anger shot threw him, his palms jamming roughly onto the rim of the sink. "Damn it," he hissed, teeth bared.

He looked up suddenly, momentarily forgetting his anger, hands releasing the sink as he stepped back silently. A noise had come from the main bedroom. His eyebrow creased in a scowl; he moved his left arm forward, palm open, and curved his right elbow upwards so that his fist was clenched at the level of his eyes. He edged to the bathroom door, pausing before ducking beneath the doorframe and stepping swiftly onto the carpet. There was a figure – that of a girl – in the doorway of the balcony, doors wide open so that the curtains lifted and billowed into the room, moonlight silhouetting her.

Zuko's scowl deepened and he advanced along the length of his bed warily. "Kori?" he demanded, guessing the name of the mayor of Yu Dao's daughter who had attacked him but a few nights ago. "Is that you? What do you want?" As he reached the corner of his bed and rounded it, the figure placed a hand against a door of the balcony, as if braced to come in. "Speak, before I strike. You have no business coming here." He moved along the foot of his bed, and saw the shadows shift further down the girl's face, the moonlight highlighting her frowning face as she cocked her head to the side. His eyes widened in surprise, and his firebending stance wavered but did not break. "Katara?"

She did not blink, but her chest lifted and dropped as she inhaled deeply. "Who's Kori?"

He assumed a defensive, angry air again, remembering what had transpired that afternoon – he had physically hurt her, spurned her and Aang, and then she had saved him. "That doesn't matter. Why are you here?"

Katara's face seemed to dry, and she pursed her lips. "I came here to talk to you, and you are going to listen to me."

"Couldn't you have done this at another time – preferably not in the dead of night as if you were a thief?"

"It's not like you'd listen to me in the day, when you're walled in by your guards."

"How did you get into the palace?"

She huffed in frustration and stepped into the bedroom – and hesitated when his arms, still tensed in a firebending stance, quivered and focused on her, like the needle of a compass swinging back to north. A flicker of hurt flashed across her face, and she slowly held her arms up, hands in his direction. "I didn't come here to fight about what happened earlier," she said gently, cautiously, as if speaking to a shocked animal. "I'm not armed." She gestured at herself, showing her lack of a waterskin or the like. When he did not drop his stance, her eyebrows curved into a concerned expression. "Zuko, please, I need to talk to you… _Please_," she beseeched.

He forced himself not to let a trace of vulnerability into his face. "The others – are they mad at me? Are you?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she admitted. "We were. But now… we're worried. I came to see if you were okay."

Zuko dropped his arms, looking exhausted all of a sudden. "I deserve it – them being angry." He took a few steps closer, crossing the distance so that they were both framed by the doorway of the balcony, moonlight spilling onto them. "I might even deserve them never wanting to see me again."

Katara lifted her eyes to his, her face still and serious. "That will never happen. You're still our friend."

He watched her, studied the certainty in her tone and countenance, his brow trembling as he struggled to keep it in a fixed scowl. Then his breath caught, and he let out the following words on a whispering breath: "I don't know why this is happening, Katara. I… I'm slipping…"

Her lips parted in surprise as he spoke, her eyes filled with worry. "Zuko…"

Another breath forced its way out of him, his face twisting with desperation. "I'm becoming… I-I feel myself becoming more like… _him_." His voice cracked on the last word.

Katara did not try to stop herself when she closed the distance between them and slipped her arms over his shoulders, wrapping them around his neck and pulling him into a comforting embrace. A warm pressure was building behind her eyes, and she did her best to keep it from flowing over, willing herself to stay strong – at least for Zuko's sake. His arms flew up, closing tightly around her, his trembling fingers clutching onto the material of the long coat at her back. She could feel his chest, rising and lifting erratically against her. His emotions had overwhelmed him, driving him out of control; she did not remember a time when she had seen him reveal his inner weakness to her, like this. She wet her lips, chin tucked on his shoulder, arms tightening around him as her natural urge to protect heightened.

In this moment, as she gazed thoughtfully ahead, Katara made a decision. Zuko's doubt and insecurity were things she would resolve to defeat. She could now clearly see how much he was hurting, for these insecurities had come to the surface. And being who she was, Katara refused to let him hurt anymore. Her abilities as a waterbender involved healing, and she knew well that Zuko's pain was not physical, but she would do all she could to heal his soul, save it from being slowly crushed.

"You are not becoming like Ozai," she said firmly, but gently. "You're still Zuko; a strong, brave, good person. You may feel like you're losing that person, like he's already lost… But don't forget that he can be found – that you can find him." She swallowed, the words flowing naturally from her lips. "You've lost him once before, a long time ago, but you found him again. You really did," she repeated softly. "He's inside of you somewhere, whether you know it or not, but I…" She shut her eyes. "_I_ can still see him. I know he's still there. And if you did it before, I know you can do it again."

He tensed, voice still raw but vulnerable like a young boy's. "But h-how can you be sure? I don't even feel like myself, Katara. You don't know how my mind has been tripping me up, how I always run over the worst possible ways I can go bad… Do you know what I just dreamed of?" He pulled back suddenly to look at her, and she could see the moisture running from his eyelids to his jaw, the bones of his face gauntly defined from a lacking appetite, the heavy shadows beneath his eyes and the tired grain pitted in their golden depths behind the built moisture. "The world was being destroyed, a new war coming, and you…" His voice shook. "You and the others were killed."

She shook her head. "That-"

"By me. I was the one who was doing all of those things, because my father told me to. I murdered innocent people… I destroyed everything-"

"Zuko!" she interrupted sharply, her sky blue eyes piercing as she leveled them with his defeated pair. "That wasn't real. You would never do that – I'll make sure you won't."

His eyebrow lifted, the pitiful expression on his face nearly making her grimace. "What?" he rasped.

"I will help you through this," she told him. "You will never have to be alone – from now on, we will go through this together, and I will help you as best as I can, every step of the way. Until the end." She raised her voice a tad, her tone true and assured. "I believe in you, Zuko. And I believe that you will get through this."

"How? How can I?" he asked her desperately. "How can you?"

"I just told you." She took a deep breath. "You made Aang promise to end your life if anything went wrong – if you went bad." Her hands gripped his shoulders when he nodded. "But he won't have to do that because you will overcome this – and you have me to help you. I did save you this afternoon, but now… Zuko, I swear…" She paused a second, knowing that what she was about to say was even more binding, of the utmost gravity. "I _vow_, that I won't ever give up on you. I will do whatever it takes whenever you need me to, so that you'll find peace within yourself again."

He stared at her, a new spark forming in his eyes. "Y-You'd do that?"

She nodded, her hands slipping from his shoulders to rest at her sides. "You have my word."

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Zuko!" Suki was calling into the room, her voice clipped and decisive; ready to give out orders to her fellow Warriors if the moment required it. "Zuko, what's going on? Are you safe?"

"Suki, wait," said Ty Lee, her voice at a lower volume, muffled by the thick wood of the door. "What if something's happened? Do you think we should go in?"

"Maybe…"

Katara's eyes, having fixed on the door while Suki and Ty Lee had been speaking, returned to his. "It's time for me to go. I'll see you soon."

He nodded, feeling just barely how tips of relief glimmered inside of him. The feeling was akin to the way the sun's rays poked out timidly from behind an enormous, dark cloud. It was much more soothing in comparison to how he had been feeling as of late – as if the darkness that had settled over him would have no end, as if he would be lost forever… And here she was. That spark of light, offering an escape back to safety and balance and happiness… He inhaled deeply before releasing the air steadily. "Thank you."

Katara wordlessly made her way out of the bedroom and onto the smooth stone of the balcony, clambering up onto the wide railing and turning to look at him one last time before she departed. Hair billowing behind her, she offered him an optimistic smile. "I have faith in you, Zuko. Don't forget that."

Just as she disappeared, the knob on the door turned and Suki and Ty Lee leaped inside, poised to strike down any trespassers. But all they found was Zuko, standing alone in front of the open balcony doors out of which he was staring intently, clad in a crimson robe that fluttered in the night breeze. Suki eased out of her stance, bringing her feet back together and lowering her arms, Ty Lee copying her. Suki shared a glance with her partner before nervously peering at Zuko, and cleared her throat. "Is everything all right in here, Zuko?"

Zuko turned his head around so that he was looking away from the balcony, raising his voice for them to hear. "I think everything will be just fine."

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><p><strong>AN:**

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! :D If you have any thoughts on it, let me know.

So I found the leaked panels and skimmed over them, and when I saw the scene with Zuko holding Katara's wrists, this idea popped into my mind, and that is how you have this story! I didn't really focus on the details of all the panels, so I suppose you could say this is loosely based on them – except the scene where the actual promise with Aang and Zuko is made. That was a real quote – I own nothing copyrighted! :P Katara and Zuko's vow is my own idea, though. Many thanks to my friends who helped me by giving useful opinions. :)

And thanks for reading! (Time to go back to my other fics now, but I hope the next update won't be too slow.)


	2. Change

**A/N: **Welcome to the new chapter! :D Looking at the chapter title, will it be a change for the better or a change for the worst? I think you'll find out soon… Chapter 2, activate!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avater: The Last Airbender or anything copyrighted mentioned here.

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><p><em><strong>A Vow of Faith<strong>_

**Chapter 2: Change**

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><p>"He was just… standing there?"<p>

Ty Lee nodded her head rapidly, before smiling comfortingly at Mai as she looked down. "Yeah. We threw those doors open and jumped inside. It was really odd – him hanging around – but he has been really odd lately."

Mai sighed, setting her steaming cup of tea on the low circular table around which she, Ty Lee and Suki were seated. It was morning, around nine o'clock, and they were outside in the huge garden of Mai's family home, only a block away from the Fire Palace. The lush, dew-topped grass was bordered by grey cobbles, and there was an assortment of trees and bushes sprouting from the healthy soil. Somewhere in the garden a stream bubbled, the sound reaching their spot beneath a cherry blossom tree; but Mai knew very well that it was unnatural, the water churned by a mechanism of some sort. In the silent moment that passed, Ty Lee and Suki fidgeted in their senza benches while Mai sat perfectly still in her own, staring at the dark substance in her cup. Finally, she looked up, bringing her eyes to Ty Lee's. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

Suki shrugged and took a swig of tea. "We heard him cry out earlier on, and he said it was only a dream. Then there was some shuffling and footsteps. But I don't know…" She drifted off, frowning at the wood of the table.

"He could've been walking off the shock," suggested Ty Lee.

"Maybe," said Mai, fixing her attention on Suki. There was something she had to say, and Mai was waiting to hear it. Right now, she needed to know what was troubling Zuko. He had told her already of his stress drawn from being the Fire Lord, and his worries of the unrest this new era was bringing about. She had a feeling there was something else, and although she did not want to admit it, his omission of the truth was pricking at her mind.

She had thought that things were all right between them, aside from Zuko's troubles, and was now beginning to wonder if she had given him a reason not to trust her. But if that were the case, what exactly had she done?

"Yeah!" Ty Lee continued, perking up in her seat. "That dream sounded pretty scary-"

"That's not what I'm talking about," interrupted Suki.

Mai would have perked up the way Ty Lee had, but since it was not in her nature, she calmed her anxiety by a deep breath. "What is it, Suki?"

She screwed her mouth to the side before answering. "I'm not totally sure, but I think someone was in there with him. I heard voices, talking, so it couldn't have been an attacker. Otherwise he would've called for help, or sent them packing by himself. But I didn't hear anything like that."

Ty Lee nodded slowly at Suki, impressed. "You really _are_ good at this warrior stuff."

Mai silenced her by holding up a hand, focused on Suki. "How would this mystery person have gotten inside? Weren't you all dispatched at different places?"

"Yeah – that was pretty much why the whole squad was used," Suki pointed out. "And if there was a person there for real, they could've got in through the balcony. Remember, the doors were open and he was staring out of them."

"And the other Kyoshi Warriors… they just let this person in?"

Suki arched an eyebrow as if Mai had insulted her personally. "Their orders were to let no one in. If it's night, the last thing they would do is let in some visiting friend who came to see the sleeping Fire Lo-"

"Wait," Mai stopped her coolly. "A friend."

Suki frowned. "I was joking-"

"I know that. But if this person was a friend and knew and asked your girls, they might've let the person in."

Suki huffed impatiently; she was still adjusting to being on somewhat friendly terms with Mai, but there were times when the stoic girl annoyed her for an unexplainable reason. "Their orders were to _not let anyone in at all_," Suki repeated, pronouncing each word carefully.

"Don't speak to me like I'm a child," replied Mai with surprising venom. "This is serious. Now do you or don't you have any idea who it was?"

Suki swallowed. "My girls wouldn't disobey these strict orders – not for anyone. Maybe – and I'm not doubting them by saying this – someone was stealthy enough to…"

"Sneak in?" put in Ty Lee, who had been silent for a portion of the conversation.

"Yes," said Suki. "It's a possibility." She cast her eyes to the side.

"It could've been someone from Team Avatar!" Ty Lee suggested, flinging her arms into the air from her sudden excitement. "Maybe Aang!"

"Team Avatar, but it wasn't Aang…" Suki whispered, gaze still averted, tone dry.

"Pipe down, Ty Lee," said Mai without looking at the energetic brunette. She leaned forward, eyes narrowed as she tried to catch Suki's gaze. "What are you not telling me?"

Suki's mouth pressed into a hard line, and the three sat for a long set of minutes before a breath escaped the warrior's lips, finally resigning from her silence and looking Mai in the eye, a semblance of pity in her blue pair. "I'm sorry, Mai… It sounded like a girl. And it may have been-"

Mai's expression shot from a narrowed curiosity into a stunned look. "Katara."

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><p>Zuko watched a cart rumble past on the street outside. He was so suddenly reminded of when he and his uncle were refugees, working in a teashop in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. It may have been because he was now dressed as a civilian in a dull red shirt and trousers with a dark tunic on top; because he was sitting in a tea shop at this very moment, despite it being a smaller, quieter one at the base of the volcano in the centre of the Fire Nation Capital City; or because he was sitting opposite his uncle at a wooden table, the smell of ginseng filling his nostrils.<p>

"I'm not sure what to do about it…" He glanced at Iroh, who was sipping his ginseng contentedly. "Uncle, are you even listening?"

Iroh's eyes popped. "Of course I am." He lowered the teacup, surveying his nephew cautiously before grinning feebly. "But won't you repeat that, for an old man?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "I already told you that I spoke to Katara yesterday. And… it changed things. She promised to help me. But there's still something else bothering me."

"And what is that?" asked Iroh, now serious.

"I went to Yu Dao like that girl – Kori – said, and things ended up pretty smooth only because of her father."

"The mayor of that colony?"

"Yes. But today I received news that she fled the village and is building up a group of rebels. They even commandeered a small town!" Zuko shook his head. "It's getting more out of hand, Uncle. That group is now the main rebel force. I think I have to go back to Yu Dao, call a meeting to resolve this for good, but what if there's something waiting for me? A trap?"

Iroh stroked his bristly chin. "Kori… I'm not sure I like that name very much. How did you meet her?"

Zuko cracked a wry smile. "She tried to kill me."

Iroh shook his head, sighing. "You are right in thinking that it might be asking for trouble, I can tell you that. But this shouldn't go ignored. Your intentions for going to Yu Dao are good, so it would be a great loss if you _didn't_." A pause in which Iroh took another drink of tea. "You're going to need to travel in the most secure conditions, nephew, either stealthily to go unnoticed or guarded heavily. Trouble will be encountered along the way."

"I know, and I'm leaning towards the stealth option." Zuko drummed his fingers on the surface of the table. "I was also wondering if I should take Katara with me – for moral support. She's able to hold her own on a mission… and I didn't realize how reassuring her presence is, until yesterday." He lifted his cup to his lips, drinking slowly.

Iroh, meanwhile, lifted his furry eyebrows. "Not Lady Mai?"

Zuko set his cup down, licking his lips. "Mai has been wonderful so far. Things have settled between us since the War ended – a few rocky patches, but it's good. Just… not in the way it felt when I spoke to Katara last night."

The older man, who had been drinking more of his much-favoured ginseng tea, nearly choked. "Last _night_? Zuko-"

Zuko scowled. "The meeting wasn't like that, Uncle!" he hissed in annoyance. "The thing is, with Mai, I can't drag her into the problems of a new world she isn't completely used to yet."

"And you're willing to drag Katara into it?"

Zuko closed his eyes. "She was in it to begin with."

Iroh gave him a look, though he could not see it. "Does that make it fair?"

"Are you trying to find reasons for me to rot away? Stew in my own juices?" He opened his eyes, subtle fury on his face. "Because that's what I've been doing ever since I became Fire Lord. Katara offered me an escape and her help whenever I need it. She's seen my weaknesses, Uncle, in a way that Mai hasn't, and that's why I'm choosing to turn to her in my situation. I know it may be unfair to Mai that I'm not considering any of her possible help, when I haven't even really let her see me like that. But I can't – not when she herself is undergoing a change."

Iroh reached forward and squeezed Zuko's wrist. "That is very good of you, Zuko, to not want to pressure someone probably already under a pressure of sorts. But what I'm also saying is that… Lady Mai, um…" He cleared his throat, searching for the right words. "Lady Mai seems a very… wintery persona. It doesn't appear as though your situation is her calling, per se."

The corner of Zuko's mouth lifted knowingly. "I know what you're talking about. I guess it can be difficult to confide things sometimes, but she's been understanding. You might even call it affectionate."

Iroh cleared his throat uncomfortably again. "So it is a contributing factor, then?"

Zuko shrugged. "Could be." He frowned. "Why the sudden interest in Mai?"

"I was checking if your romantic interests have changed, is all."

Zuko's eyes widened, and he quickly gulped down the last of his cold tea in an attempt to hide the flush building on his cheekbones. "Katara is only my friend. And if you really wanna know, I haven't been thinking… romantically-" he frowned at his word choice "-lately. Mai's my girlfriend, but my mind just isn't there." He sat back in his chair, releasing a breath as he felt the bones in his spine click. It was the truth; while this conflict was going on, he could sense how he was holding everyone at an arm's length. He tended to do that in pressing situations. Last night, when Katara had come into his room and spoken those words… it was the first time in a while that he had let someone in, close enough to see how he was suffering.

_That could also be a contributing factor._

"I see." Iroh then glanced over his nephew's shoulder, peering at something in the corner of the room. "That Pai Sho board is free!" he breathed, and Zuko could not help a fond smile at seeing his uncle's excited expression. "Perhaps I should join that man over there – it must be glum to play Pai Sho by himself. Would you care to watch?" He turned back to Zuko.

"No thanks." Zuko stood. "It's eleven o'clock. I've got an important appointment now."

Iroh got up from his chair, too. "Aren't you late?"

He had been hoping his uncle would take it as a flimsy excuse to escape Pai Sho… "It's important, but not a set time, if that makes sense." Zuko pushed his chair in and moved around the table to pat a hand against his uncle's broad shoulder, but he frowned when Iroh continued to stare ahead, stiffly. "What's wrong? Did someone get to the Pai Sho board before you?" Zuko half-smiled at his joke, but it faded when Iroh turned to him.

"You're not going to see Ozai, are you?"

Zuko's breath caught, and he stood there, frozen with a hand on his uncle's shoulder. He finally blinked, hand slipping away to rest at his side, his loose black hair falling to hide his face as he looked down. "I…" He swallowed before lifting his head again, turning away from Iroh. "It's a brief meeting." He took a step towards the doorway, voice barely a whisper. "Nothing you say will stop me from going."

As he left, Iroh spoke evenly after him. "It's not healthy, Zuko. Whatever he's been saying to you only adds more to the conflict. Please keep that in mind."

"I'll see you later, Uncle."

* * *

><p>"If there is anything you require, Your Majesty-"<p>

Zuko held up a hand. "I'll let you know."

The guard bowed and heaved open the door. In the cell, the dank smell with the biting undertone of rusting metal that encased the prison mingled strongly with the smell of sweat and something more foul. Zuko grimaced; he could almost taste the bitterness on his tongue as he stepped into the dim space with a cage-like structure against the far wall. Drops of moisture fell from the gridded bars and onto the icy, stone floor of the cell, right in front of the slumped and almost piteous sight that was Ozai.

He looked up at Zuko through the greasy strips of his bedraggled black hair, smiling spitefully. "Well, well… It seems the mighty Fire Lord Zuko really does stay true to his word, even to his old father."

"You're in no position to mock me." Zuko came to a stop a few paces away from the bars enclosing his father. "What do you want?"

Ozai's smile was suddenly tinged with something of amusement. "Am I not the one who should be asking you that question?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't try and fool around, boy. I know why you're here." When Zuko did not speak, Ozai continued. "It's no secret that you're struggling with the immense weight of power, not even to lowly prison guards. You need help from me, advice, consultance."

"And what makes you think I need that from you, specifically?"

"I told you not to fool around," said Ozai with a hint of impatience. "There is no other reason for you to be here. You did not have to come back as I suggested – there's nothing I could have done to force your return. But here you are, of your own accord. I must be very lucky," he finished in that superior, mocking tone that had always irked Zuko.

Zuko's mouth tightened. "Hardly."

"Getting to the point, what is it that you ask?"

Zuko stared at him for a long moment. Then he sighed, taking a step forward and sinking into a kneeling position as an adoring child might in order to listen to an elder's tales. But now, this was definitely not the case. "There is a rebel force building. They're making themselves known as opposition to the peace…" He darted a glance at Ozai, who was calmly surveying him with that same maddening smile. "When I ask this, it's out of curiosity… but what would you do?"

Ozai gave a low, dangerous chuckle. "This situation requires quick, decisive thinking. A swift way to sort it out for good. Why, it's convenient, too."

Zuko's face had a puzzled look, mirroring his own thoughts. If he cared what Ozai thought of him, he would curse himself for not understanding like Azula would. But his stomach twisted into a tight knot… Did that mean he still cared?

"Force," said Ozai simply. "Force is what this situation requires. Assemble troops, increase and ensure armament, and have them sent into the area. By sea, by air, or both, depending on the urgency."

He felt like a child protesting the unfairness of being sent to bed early. "B-But that could start a whole new war!"

"It is not your fault if the world misinterprets your attempts at peace."

"But this would be more malicious after the Fire Nation promised peace!"

"And that is why peace is a resort best left for last," concluded Ozai with a sneer.

A wave of humiliation swept over Zuko, and he heard his voice crack when he spoke. "What is wrong with trying the more peaceful methods? Why is there a constant thirst in this family for violence and conflict and destruction?"

Ozai snorted and rolled his eyes. "Because peace is ineffective, boy," he spat. "It is something rarely achieved by anyone – the airbenders have done it, and look where it got them! You can't argue that peace has less destruction, in that case. It is a long, strenuous effort to actually instill it, and even then, it is not fully achieved. There will still be conflict. In a tight space, one's shoulders will still rub with their enemy's even if they'd agreed not to fight. That is what the four nations are like, Your Majesty. With so-called peace also comes destruction, conflict and violence, as with force.

"There will never completely be peace, not even in that abominable imagination of yours. So what is actually peace? How can you decide what is peace and what is not? The line between the two is blurred, I can assure you. Therefore, who are you to spite force and claim that peace is better? I don't think you can. My idea of peace may differ to yours, but in the long run, either option will bring about unfortunate results. What does it matter if said unfortunate results come sooner?"

Ozai leaned forward. "Until you can prove to me that your idea of peace is better, my case rests."

Zuko sat opposite his father, not sure if he was horrified or dumbstruck. He had heard that his father was a convincing, persuasive speaker, but he had never known how opinionated Ozai really was. In fact, his argument made frighteningly good sense to Zuko. He might have agreed with it. He was blindly on the verge of it, even, when he felt a pang inside of him. Ah… either way, it would still feel wrong if he did agree no matter how right it sounded. He was shocked at how bendable he was – almost like an element, he thought wryly to himself.

"I could probably convince you," he said without thinking. "As proof, I could resolve the problems with the rebels and Yu Dao."

"An interesting proposition." Ozai's lips curled. "I was hoping you'd say something along the lines of that. I have a reward, you see."

Zuko blinked. "What?"

Ozai's flashing eyes and dark smile bore into him. "Nothing too special. Only the location of your mother."

Zuko's eyes widened, jaw going slack. The breath he had just sucked in seemed to hold, halting in his throat as his face drained of colour. Those words… A different spark of hope this time, the opportunity… His mother… The only chance of finding her – it had come at last. After so very long. He stuttered when he tried to speak, only faintly registering the entertained look on Ozai's face. "Y-You…"

Ozai said nothing. Zuko rose, urging himself to breathe as he paced the length of the cell. His pulse was racing anxiously, a cold dampness beading on his forehead and at his joints. He finally came to a stop, a palm against the cold iron of the cell door with his head ducked down, bracing himself. "You knew all this time?" he croaked.

"But of course," answered Ozai smoothly. "You'd think I'd know where I banished my previous wife to. Over the years, I had her checked upon to find out her welfare. She knew about these checks, too, but chose for her location to be undisclosed."

"But… She wouldn't… You d-didn't even care about her! You wouldn't have banished her-"

Ozai sighed. "Let us not reopen this particular can of worms. It bores me. Speaking on the terms of this proposition… there aren't many, but in order to receive my information for you, you'll have to go to every length to achieve this peace you speak of. And if you do encounter conflict and violence and destruction along the way, it would be interesting to know. There might even be more benefits… Perhaps the jewelry and keepsakes she owned before banishment…"

"I'll do it," Zuko choked out, having jerked his head up to stare dazedly at Ozai.

"Very well. It might be a long time before I see you again, then."

Zuko ignored how snide his comment was and straightened up, drawing in a few more calming breaths and licking his lips, tasting salty sweat and being reminded of the prison's metallic air. He ran a hand through his hair, a voice screaming at the back of his mind that this was not the right way to get the information he needed. But he silenced that voice, if only for his mother's sake. If only for his sake.

And just as he had been dreading, when he laid his hand on the door handle, Ozai's voice, cold and raspy, crept up to meet him. "Don't forget that I won't utter a word if you fail. And you and I both know you are prone to that."

"Why do you still have a hold on me?" Zuko whispered. "You're in prison, behind bars, and you still control me… Why?"

Ozai laughed an ugly sound as Zuko swung open the door and took a step out, speaking words that made something inside his son harden… "Because we're family, Zuko. No matter what you do, you'll always be my faithful son."

* * *

><p>It was the peak of noon when Zuko returned to the palace. He was exhausted; Ozai's parting words had jarred his mind into a sharp, icy state. It was unexplainable, but-<p>

"Mai?" Zuko stopped as he strode into one of the smaller living rooms near to his bedroom, which happened to be his favourite out of the many choking the Fire Palace. "What are you doing here?"

There was his stoic girlfriend, seated on the edge of the sofa opposite the empty fireplace. There was a small pile of envelopes and loose sheets of parchment on the seat next to her, and she seemed to have been in the act of examining one of them when Zuko had come in. She set the tiny square of paper she held on top of the pile. "Hoping you'd be coming in here today," she answered.

Zuko frowned; her gaze contained an odd coldness, even for her. "Is something wrong?" He came further into the room and sank into the armchair that set him diagonally to her, facing her across the seat with the pile of paper.

"Of course there is. And now I know for sure."

He sighed. After the meeting with his father, he did not feel like tolerating petty people. "What, Mai?"

She scowled and fisted a clump of the papers, crushing them between her long fingers as she waved her hand. "You've been having problems that you refuse to tell me about."

He frowned. "What are those?"

"Some of your unsent letters to Iroh from when you were in Yu Dao, the Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom. I found them in a cabinet in one of the living rooms of your chamber, as well as some reports."

His eyes widened, incredulous but greatly angered. "You _went through my things_ without my permission? I could have you arrested for that!" he fumed.

She threw the papers down onto the seat. "Oh please. You shouldn't leave this stuff hanging around an outer living room of your chamber in the first place. It's easy to access." She paused. "And you wouldn't dare arrest me, Zuko. You wouldn't dare."

"I would, since the offence is breaking and entering, and invasion of _my_ privacy. Those were meant for my eyes, and Iroh's eyes. Don't think the fact that we're in a relationship will protect you. Actually, that's also in doubt, now that I think about it." He instantly regretted saying that, for he knew he did not mean it with the gravity in which he had spoken it.

She looked offended, but continued anyway. "Would you please focus on the bigger picture? You're not talking to me, Zuko, not the way you should be."

"Can't you see that I don't want to burden you?" he demanded. A shred of the conversation with his uncle zipped by, and he snatched it up, ready to throw it. "You don't make it very easy to talk to you, either, so you shouldn't have expectations like that."

Her chest heaved as she breathed deeply to calm herself. Her tone was quiet now, but frosty nonetheless. "Is that why there was a girl in your room last night?"

"How do you-"

"Honestly." She rolled her eyes. "My closest friend and one of the best warriors in the Earth Kingdom was standing outside your bedroom door, watching and listening for trouble. Of course they're going to tell me, stupid."

"It's not like that-"

"Really, Zuko, I wouldn't choose now to accuse you of cheating. But don't think that hasn't occurred to me," she added. "I stopped thinking about cheating when I discovered that it was Katara with you."

"All right, so why else are you angry?" He was getting impatient again. "Stop wasting my time. I only came here for a short rest before I travel again."

Her eyes widened in shock fractionally, before she released a steady breath and her hurt expression cooled. So he didn't even want to hear her out…? Mai rose to her feet without another glance at him. "I'm not angry." In a few brisk strides, she crossed the room, pausing at the archway leading out into the corridor. "I'm hurt. Hurt, that you can't see I don't mind sharing your burdens… That you won't even take a chance on me…" Her back straightened, posture rigid. "That you think so little of me."

And then she was gone, quieter than smoke curling up from a pile of ashes.

Zuko whipped around in the armchair, but did not manage to catch a single glimpse of her. He groaned, sinking low in the seat. He had been callous, hadn't he? Cruel, impatient, rude… But he found that he was not too bothered about it. Ever since his father's last words before departing, something in him had changed. Things seemed to bounce off of the new purpose he now kindled. Hmm, had he been like this when searching for the Avatar? Perhaps, yes…

It was unexplainable, but the purpose that had presented itself now consumed him. And he would stop at nothing to fulfil it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Uh-oh! Trouble in the Maiko paradise! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D

Yes, Mai had a very stalkerish moment. I wonder if things will be resolved between them soon, or do you think they'll fall apart? Hmm, you don't know, but I do! And it's a bit of a complicated thing that goes on there. :P  
>As for Zuko's change… Well, to give you a <em>small, tiny<em> idea of what the change is like, think _a bit_ of how Anakin Skywalker went a bit loopy and bad in Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. :) (I love Star Wars with a passion. :3) Hint: Zuko's desperation is going to make our dear firebender meaner than usual, maybe a tad villainous… ;)

Thank you so much for reading, and for the reviews! I appreciate them tons. :) Next chapter: the beginning of our Zutara adventure…


	3. The Choice

**A/N:** Hello and welcome to Chapter 3! Woo! Ahem, I'm not sure why I'm so excited. Probably because this chapter has one of the first things in this story that I absolutely adored. This is SuperSonic Violet, hoping you adore it too! 8D

**Disclaimer:** Copyrighted bits = not mine.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A Vow of Faith<strong>_

**Chapter 3: The Choice**

* * *

><p>Katara precariously balanced the stack of bowls in her hands as she made her way to the kitchen. It was her turn to wash the dishes today – Sokka had instigated the creation of a timetable to make sure that whenever they were together, the chores would be evenly spread. She puffed out a relieved breath as she stepped through the arch leading into the kitchen, treading towards the sink as if she were sneaking up on it. She got there at last, triumphantly dumping the bowls into the sink with a smile.<p>

As she turned the faucet on and worked the soap into a lather, Toph sauntered into the kitchen, a broom propped over her shoulder much like a boastful warrior with a sword – no doubt, if someone were to get in her way, she would actually use the broom as such… _and more_, Katara thought. The waterbender giggled as she watched Toph sink into a wooden chair. "Already done with the sweeping?" she asked, turning back to the sink.

Toph let her head droop over the back of the chair, inky hair slipping out of her face and around her bun to reveal a bored expression. "Nope."

Katara picked up the first bowl after the water was foamy and bubbling, scrubbing away at it while staring flatly at the wall before her. She rolled her eyes, having fallen into the trap. "Would you like me to help you?" she muttered between clenched teeth.

The earthbender suddenly perked up, jumping upright and dropping the broom, an exaggerated grin stretching her lips. "Well, if you insist!"

Katara threw her a scowl over her shoulder, hoping Toph could sense that much detail in a person; in case she could, her amusement at Toph's expression would be hidden. After this scenario having become something of a routine, there was no point in trying to be angry anymore. "Stop smiling," Katara said instead, setting the bowl on the wash rack and taking up a green plate. "Your teeth are so bright, I'm going to be blinded – oh! Sorry. No offe-"

"Eh, forget it. I'm already blind!" Toph threw an arm into the air. "And I don't give a damn if you think it's too bright," she announced pleasantly, flexing her arms before folding them behind her head and resting back comfortably.

"Language, Toph," scolded Katara.

She snickered. "Damn, damn, damn," she chanted. "Damn…"

"Cut it out."

"_Damn_, Sugar Queen, you're so _damn_ parental sometimes. _Damn_ you!"

Katara huffed, jerking the poor sponge over gravy hardened into stubborn crust on the plate. "I'm going to pour soap down your throat when you're sleeping," she said in a flat, sing-song tone.

"Damn," drawled the earthbender. "You don't need to get so damn moody. Dammit, I wish you weren't such a damned time-bomb for bad temper-"

Katara dropped the plate into the foaming basin with a muffled _clank_. She whirled, sponge crushed between her curled fingers, face twisted into a murderous mask. "Toph-"

The younger girl finally allowed herself to erupt in a fit of laughter, causing the chair to nearly tip over. As she gasped for air, she managed to squeak, "You're too easy to work up!"

"Oh, whatever!" she hissed, for a lack of anything sharper to say.

"And one more thing…"

"What now?"

"Dayum, you gotta watch your temper." Cheeks lightly flushed, Toph lifted a forefinger and poked it at the floor. "What's that you dropped on the floor anyway?"

"What?" Frowning, Katara looked down to see that the sponge, which she had squashed into a ball between her fingertips, had dripped soapy liquid onto the red material of her skirt, running down to slowly plop onto the floor. She groaned as it slid further down and close to her foot, feeling the moisture pasting a strip of the skirt to her leg. Tossing the sponge into the basin, she bent down to pick at the material. "Damn…" she muttered unconsciously – and snapped upright after realizing what she had just said. "You know what? Not a single word."

Smiling, Toph held up her hands. "Whatever, Queen of Endless Sugary Sweetness… or are you?"

Katara snorted, unable to keep back a smile. "You can be such a prick, Toph," she chuckled, shaking her head and returning to the unwashed dishes.

"And you still love me," said Toph cosily, reclining in the chair again.

She laughed again quietly, gradually losing herself to her thoughts as she swiped the sponge in circular motions over another plate. Last night, after she returned to the Western Air Temple, things had certainly felt different – but not to the extent that she anticipated. It had been nearly impossible, trying to fall asleep, since her mind kept creeping back to what had taken place in Zuko's chambers. In the moonlight, as the crisp night air ghosted over her skin through the open balcony doors, setting her dark tresses and his crimson night robe fluttering, she had sworn her faith in him. At the time, she had not thought that it was irrational or foolish – neither did she now. But this morning, after a sleep filled with too many thoughts that could not be considered dreams, she had had enough time to order things in her mind. And so she realized just how binding her words were. _You can't make a vow like that and go back on it, not at all. Never._ She knew what she was entering herself into and she had no regrets, but innately, she could not help but sense that it was awfully dangerous…

There was a tense coldness in her chest – as if her body was gathering her nerves for something, waiting for something to come to a head… But she did not know when this _something_ was going to happen or if these instinctive feelings were even correct. It was as though she were holding her breath before the onset of a storm.

"Hey, Katara, are you okay?"

The waterbender started with a marked intake of breath. She looked down to find that her hands had stilled during her ruminations; she loosely groped the plate, her hands hanging in the sink. Turning around, she met eyes with the speaker. "Oh, Suki – when did you come in here?"

"Sheesh, pay attention much, Katara," remarked Toph.

"A minute or two ago," Suki answered, curiosity in her dark blue eyes, but her tone assumed casualness. "I just got back from a torturous tea with Mai and Ty Lee. You were just standing there, staring at the wall… Are you all right?"

Katara forced a smile, tucking an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. "Sure. I didn't have a good sleep, is all."

"It must've been pretty stressful, what happened with Zuko."

Katara frowned, her mouth going dry. _Could she…?_ "What are you talking about?"

Suki shifted on her feet, resting her hand on the back of Toph's chair. "He treated you guys _really_ badly yesterday, like you were enemies, and Aang almost-"

"Oh, right." Katara swirled her tongue around inside her mouth, trying to relieve the dryness from a moment before. She leaned against the counter supporting the sink. "How was the tea?"

The Kyoshi Warrior chuckled, pulling up a chair diagonally from Toph and slumping into it. "The tea was brilliant. Mai's rich, so I expected that. But she was being crazy about something Ty Lee shouldn't have brought up."

Katara raised an eyebrow and smiled crookedly, folding her arms. "What did she say? Your hair's better than Mai's?" she joked.

"Actually, it was pretty strange," said Suki. "Ty Lee and I were on duty outside Zuko's bedroom yesterday, and he sounded like he was having a nightmare. But after a while we heard voices, like he was talking to someone. When we burst in, he was staring out his balcony and the doors were open. Mai's pretty upset about it 'cause she's worried about him – and suspicious, but she won't admit it. I can tell. She's also questioning the capability of my Warriors." Suki rolled her eyes. "Frankly, she was extremely annoying."

The waterbender's smile had moderately faded as Suki spoke, not only because she knew exactly who Zuko was talking to and how the security had been tested, but also because there had been a knowing look in Suki's eyes the entire time. "It can't be the best thing to have someone you care about falling apart," she said slowly. _Spirits, did she hear what I said to him? I don't know how they'll take it yet. It's something so personal, so complicated. I'm not sure how I could even begin to tell them, or if it's necessary at all…_

Before Suki could respond, Toph yawned loudly. "Just talking about Mai makes me depressed and this Zuko business gets my blood boiling."

"Toph!"

Toph flung her hands up. "What? It's not just 'cause of what he did yesterday. I wish he'd see that he isn't that bad. It frustrates me."

Katara put her hands on her hips. _Oh, Toph, it isn't that simple. And that's why I can't tell you everything now – you don't understand it yet._ "Yesterday, I know we said we'd wait for him to apologise or explain, but we did agree we wouldn't hold a grudge."

"Of course, but I'm still mad… I just want my old Sparky back," admitted Toph quietly. A few minutes of silence passed between the girls, in which they were lost in their own contemplations. Finally, it was broken when Toph cleared her throat. "But maybe it'll happen eventually."

"It will, Toph," answered Katara, her voice strengthened with steel. She made her way over to the younger girl, laying her hand on her shoulder. "I would do whatever it takes to get him back."

Toph did not instantly respond, face hooded by her long, black bangs. Timidly her hand, still plump and tiny with childhood, reached up to press Katara's. "That means a lot," she whispered, loud enough for only Katara to hear. Then, looking up, she announced, "Now come on – enough sad talk. Let's go have a bending spree with Twinkle Toes!"

Suki sniffed. "Hmph."

"You and Sokka can do some sparring or throw daggers at us… or each other. Doesn't your foreplay involve that?"

Suki's jaw dropped, her cheeks flaming. "I will not discuss what I do with my fiancé," she blurted shrilly.

Katara giggled, not bothering to scold the earthbender for her suggestive talk as she usually would. She was glad that she had confided at least a part of her intentions to Toph – she knew that when the time came for whatever the cause of her tense feelings was, the earthbender might hopefully be able to understand, even just a tad. "Let's go then."

* * *

><p>She was a master waterbender, her waterbending skills perfectly honed – yet her gift still managed to thrill her. Especially the tall tentacles of the water octopus she had summoned up around her.<p>

Near to the fountain in the middle of the courtyard stood Katara, the centrum of eight tentacles of water that swished around her, droplets of liquid occasionally splashing her blue tunic, breeches and brown boots, but not soaking into them. The heat of the Fire Nation summer flared around the gang as they sparred under the golden afternoon sky, present even when a slight breeze wandered into the courtyard. But the water tentacles surrounding her entire body locked in cool air as she twisted and twirled her arms in order to keep her octopus alive. Waterbending would always make her happy – now that the War was over, there was more time to indulge in the art as a hobby. Though soon she would be beginning to teach waterbending classes, in less than three months, and she was greatly looking forward to it.

A Water Tribe dagger belonging to her brother flew at her, and with a curve of an eyebrow and a smirk to match, she caught it easily, the tip of a tentacle wrapping around the blade. Drawing her hand back fluidly and then thrusting it forward, the tentacle mimicked her movement and hurled the dagger back at Sokka. Its handle bounced off the wolf helmet that he had donned specially for their group sparring session, before landing on the cobbled ground.

"Argh!" cried Sokka, wobbling around dizzily. "Hey! That wasn't nice!"

"Your dagger-throwing skills aren't nice!" called Katara, laughing as he unsuccessfully tried to steady himself, interrupted only when a chunk of earth was thrown at her by Toph. With a powerful upward jerk of her elbow, a tentacle to her left collided with the mass of earth; it was destroyed, exploding into puny bits of soil, as well as the fat tentacle, which burst into droplets of water that fanned across Katara's face.

As she formed the tentacle once more from fountain water, she felt wind blowing her hair. Looking up, she found Aang cheering and swooping down at her, arms spread like the wings of a bird, and he quickly pecked her cheek as he passed, blasting the ground with air to keep him moving forward. Katara mirrored his grin as he dropped into an air scooter beside a floored Sokka. But she did not feel her cheeks blushing as she routinely would have, a warmth failing to be stirred in her chest at his adorable act… She frowned to herself, but dismissed it as her mind being elsewhere.

Suddenly, Aang dismounted his air scooter, allowing it to fade away with a gust. His pale arm, free due to his burnt orange tunic crossing over his chest and tying at the opposite bare shoulder, lifted so that his cupped fingers could shield his eyes as he peered up at the sky. "Guys, stop," he ordered loudly. The cheerful, light-hearted boy from before was now replaced by a grave Avatar. Immediately, Katara let the octopus drop into a puddle at her feet which she then scooped up and, dragging stray droplets along the way, sent it streaming into the fountain; the flower-shaped, beautiful fountain she had sat at last night as she healed her wrists. Suki yanked her sword out of another of Toph's blocks of earth before the earthbender slid it back into the ground, akin to a puzzle piece. Sokka, meanwhile, seemed to forget his dizziness, pulling himself into an upright position.

They all gawked at what Aang was staring at: A Fire Nation air balloon hovered over at the edge of the courtyard, a dark mass in the yellow sky, from which a roped ladder with a figure attached to it had just descended. And that figure was Fire Lord Zuko.

"What's happening?" hissed Toph, fidgeting in the silence.

"It's Zuko… He got here with an air balloon. You'll feel him land in the courtyard any second now." Sokka rubbed the back of his neck under his helmet. "I didn't think we'd be seeing him for a while… What should we do?"

"Maybe he wants to make peace," offered Suki, leaning on her sword.

"Let's see what happens," said Katara softly as she watched him. There was something strange about him, and looking around at the others' uncertain expressions, she could tell that they sensed it too. _Something isn't right. _

Aang's face hardened as the firebender stepped down the last rungs of rope, his boots with their curled, gold tips touching onto the cobbled floor at the end of the courtyard, which was situated at the top of one of the slimmer, inverted Western Air Temple towers that jutted out of the face of the cliff; it must have been easy to spot them, and equally easy to land. Aang walked forward strongly but guardedly. "What are you doing here, Zuko?"

"_Fire Lord_ Zuko," he corrected in response.

Aang's eyebrows furrowed as he came to a stop, knowing that this exchange would not be friendly. "Sorry, Your Majesty," he said stiffly. "Why did you suddenly decide to come see us? Are you here to apologise for yesterday?"

Zuko allowed his eyes to flick to Katara across the courtyard, and her own sky blue pair widened. "Hardly," he said, icily meeting eyes with Aang again. "I decided to stop by, since I'm making a trip to one of my troublesome colonies. Yu Dao."

Katara swallowed, unsure if she should intervene, speak at all. He seemed… different. Something had conspicuously changed in him, but she could not guess at what it was. It was evident in his callous tone, his suspicious – almost sinister – air, the regular flexing of his fingers as though his mind was restless. Oh, but the latter could also be read in his eyes… Just as she decided that she should attempt to speak, Aang's fists clenched and words spilled from his lips. "Well, I don't know why you're acting this way and I don't know why you're here only to tell us that. We're not mad at you anymore-"

"Speak for yourself!" called Toph, and Suki elbowed her.

"At least some of us aren't," amended Aang. "We're ready to forgive you if you're willing to apologise and tell us what's going on. We're your friends, Zuko, not your enemies. You can talk to us. We can help you find peace within yourself and the world."

Zuko scowled, closing his eyes. "I did not come here to seek your forgiveness. I came here to tell you that I've received an offer from my father, and now I'm making my way to Yu Dao to re-enter peace negotiations. If those fail, then I will act severely. Either way, I'm going to ensure that this rebellion is crushed."

"Force isn't the way to deal with it, Zuko, especially when Ozai has something to do with it," warned Aang. "You can't go down the wrong path like this. He's brainwashing you. Don't do this, otherwise I'll… I must…"

"Force isn't the way? As if peace proves more successful. In fact, it involves just as much destruction and conflict as force and violence – in a tight space, one's shoulders will still rub with their enemy's even if they'd agreed not to fight." He spoke mechanically. "Look at your world. It's falling apart even after you worked so hard to put it back together. That's why how I go about this doesn't matter."

"You're not yourself, Zuko – this doesn't sound like you," said Sokka carefully, rising to his feet.

Zuko opened his eyes, ignoring Sokka. "I want you to join me, Katara."

"_What?_ Don't you bring my little sister into this!" Sokka viciously yanked his helmet off, tossing it to the side. There were beads of sweat on his forehead and the bridge of his nose. "You'll become a monster like your father if you force her to go with you!"

Katara's wide eyes were trapped by Zuko's, her breath heavily entering and exiting her lungs. She registered the reactions from the rest of Team Avatar all too clearly, felt Aang and Suki's eyes piercing into her skin while Sokka glared savagely at Zuko. She wanted to lock herself in the cold cage of tentacles by which she had been surrounded not very long ago, anything to turn their stunned, questioning gazes from her. "I…" she began, but found that she could not finish.

Zuko drew in an audible, deep breath. "You told me where your allegiance was, Katara. You vowed. Would you go back on your word, commit such a sin of dishonour?"

He did not mean to sound punishing, as though he was entitled to something she owed him; his harshness was unintended. She knew that. But oh, her heart felt sullied simply to think that she would break a promise to someone, notably one of such gravity… And his words added to it.

"Katara?" Sokka beseeched. "You…?"

Suki gasped, realisation dawning on her, the sword she was leaning on clattering to the ground. "Is _that_ what you said to him last night?" she breathed, astonished.

"A-Almost-" stammered Katara.

"_Last night_?" queried Aang. "But you… you were here the rest of the afternoon, and after we talked you went straight to your room-"

"Yes, and after that I went to the Fire Palace," clarified Katara.

"Why?" shouted Sokka unintentionally, familial worry over his sister causing his hysteria to rise with each minute that passed.

"Last night!" repeated Toph. "That's interesting."

"It wasn't like that, Toph, really," said Katara with a huff. "I felt like I needed to talk to him and see if he was all right." Before Katara could proceed to divulge his damaged condition – that he had most assuredly _not_ been all right – something flickered in Zuko's eyes, almost a plea not to tell them. She tore her gaze away at last and regarded the others solemnly. "Then I swore that I would help him if he needed it, and that I had faith in him. And I do. But I didn't exactly say that I would be on his side or turn my back on everyone else, if that's what you thought. I don't think there are sides in this situation because we all want peace established – we're all aiming for the same goal. But if there are sides, I'm with everyone." _There can't be sides, not when we're all friends. I vowed my faith in Zuko, to Zuko – to help him whenever he needed it. But does that mean I've…? Have I… already chosen a side?_

"Is this it?" asked Zuko hoarsely, a tinge of weakness pervading his hostile stance. "Is this how you're breaking your oath?"

"Of course not…" _Katara, _have_ you already chosen a side?_ she furiously asked herself.

"So what is your answer, then? Will you come with me?"

Sokka angrily started forward, preparing to rush Zuko, but was held back when Aang latched firmly onto his wrist with two hands. Instead of struggling, he shook his head and uttered lowly. "Why would you want to do this to her, Zuko? The War already put my family and everyone I care about in danger, and now we're finally safe. You and Aang still have politics to deal with, fine, that's okay. But now you're jeopardising my sister's safety. Don't you see why I can't let this happen? What would my dad say?"

"Her decision is none of your concern."

Aang made a frustrated noise of protest. "You can't make her go with you – it's not fair, and it's dangerous! You'll be going against the official agreements of the Harmony Restoration Movement! You're not following the terms, and if you force Katara to go with you, you'll only make her a traitor to the peace, too! And…"

Katara shut her eyes and blocked out his voice, Sokka's voice, Zuko's voice – all of them. She needed to think. Aang was acting as if this would be a deed of betrayal, not absorbing her opinion on the matter. They did not want her to go with Zuko, who appeared unstable and, unfortunately by default as a result of his intentions, opposition. But was it honestly betrayal if she went with him, against their wishes and the Harmony Restoration Movement, to revive him? She had made a vow, a binding act, and it would be against her morals and every fibre of her being if she broke it by refusing him. But on this mission he might intend to use force; he might harm people – it was dangerous and he was despicably wrong… Was that not against her nature, too?

With that, Katara urged her feet forward. Aang fell silent as she came to a stop in the distance spanning between Zuko and the others. Katara lifted her face, surveying the other four members of Team Avatar, studying them intently as a breeze carrying the fresh mountain scent entered the courtyard. She broke eye contact with them and stared at the cobbled ground, her own pair of boots… before she turned so that she faced Zuko, and her back was to them. She lifted her chin and resolutely said:

"Every step of the way. Until the end."

His breaths were shuddering as he nodded, a glimmer of gratification highlighting his face as he recognised her words to him from the previous night. He held out a gloved hand to her, maroon cloak billowing about him. "Thank you, Katara. Thank you for choosing me."

Katara ignored what the rest of Team Avatar were saying, letting her legs automatically guide her towards Zuko. As it was, she felt guilty enough for leaving them without explaining fully why she was doing this, why she was not the traitor they probably considered her now. She settled her hand in his, using it as leverage to step onto the rope ladder, and climbed a few rungs, leaving enough space for him to climb on below her. She watched them sombrely – watched as Toph caused a few mounds of earth to bulge up and trap Suki, Sokka and Aang's feet, watched as they gave outcries of shock and attempted to break free. Toph tried to calm them, and she was not able see it, but Katara still nodded in thanks at the girl.

The earthbender had indeed understood Katara's words from earlier. "You guys don't get it – she's not betraying us. I'm pretty sure she's…" Katara heard as she tried to calm them with explanations, but the words got lost as Katara realised that Zuko was on the ladder and the airship was reeling them in.

Still, she thought that Toph would indeed get her reasoning right. Katara was going with Zuko not because she felt obligated; not because she was some prisoner of an agreement. She did not see herself as a prisoner of any sort but she did see that the agreement was important, and she knew in her heart that she would never forgive herself if she went back on her vow. Neither would he.

Breaking the vow would also sever Zuko's last tie to humanity. Oh, yes, she could feel the perverse change in him, feel it intrinsically. Something had happened in the time between their meeting in the moonlight and now – and it marred him inside. He was going to do terrible things, not only to other people, but to himself, too. And that was the other reason, aside from her vow of faith, why Katara went with him: She was going to ensure that no one got hurt on his new mission and, ultimately, save him from himself – as long as she was there, he would never lose his morality and humanity.

But it broke her to see Team Avatar hurt and feel so afraid for her – and also furious that she might be betraying them. She hoped Toph would be successful, though the younger girl would not be able to tell them very much. Perhaps she might at least reassure them in the meantime. As the ladder carried Katara and Zuko upwards, farther from the courtyard in the Western Air Temple, the waterbender focused on her brother. He was still trying to communicate with her, plead with her, say words that she could not hear at the growing distance… His agony was almost tangible.

Upon seeing that, a sob racked her chest; she realised that she had been shedding tears, and they were silently dripping down her cheeks. She had hurt them in making this choice, especially Sokka, but she hoped that they would discover and accept her true motives, thereby ceasing to hurt. And she knew that she, too, would get hurt in what she was doing – but it was all so that someone she cared about would _stop_ hurting, and there was no other way, no other escape route for him.

Despite the pain that she would bring upon herself in the process, Katara knew that it had to be done.

_I would do whatever it takes to get him back._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

I simply cannot believe that I haven't updated in over a year. Sheesh. I really hope that this sudden inspiration will carry on for a while so I can get the other chapters out reasonably fast. 'O_O And the thing that I said I adored in this chapter: When Katara chose Zuko! In my head it was such a delicious and scandalous scene – I hope it was decent enough over here. :P

Thank you so much for reading, and for your reviews! I really appreciate them. :D If you have any questions or feedback, feel free! Also, if you're interested, expect an update for _**Love Amongst the Dragons**_ this week. :)

**Next Chapter:** We get to see a bit more of Zuko's villainousnessnessness, and a taste of how he treats Katara while he's villainous. Oh, and if you haven't caught on yet, Zuko is not going to be very nice in this fic. Seriously. Official heads-up. This is the one fic I write where he's a jerk most of the time.


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